Oklahoma State Star Cade Cunningham says 2-year-old Riley is encouraging to go into a big dance

Cade Cunningham is set to start his first and only NCAA Tournament at Oklahoma State, and will have one young fan at his heart as he tries to lead the Cowboys on the Final Four run.

Cunningham’s 2-year-old daughter Riley is a key motivator for the Big Dance and also for being close when he is expected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

“It’s all over,” the 6-foot-8 freshman point guard said Tuesday on a conference call after being named to the All-America Associated Press First Team. “I don’t know, it’s like a bundle of happiness in a 2-year-old body. Not enough words, really, that’s my daughter. She has everything right now, that’s my motivation and everything. “

‘RILEY’S MAJOR STORIES’

Riley was born when Cunningham spent his senior season playing for legendary coach Kevin Boyle at Montverde Academy (FL), the current powerhouse program with 17 players previously in the NCAA Tournament . (If Cunningham goes No. 1 as expected in the draft, it will be Boyle ‘s seventh top-3 pick since 2011, replacing former No. 1. Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.)

The town of Cunningham is in Arlington, Texas and Riley lives in Texas, where she shares time with her mother and Cade’s family. She was in attendance for around a dozen home and away games this season as her father helped lead the Cowboys to a 20-8 record while leading the Big 12 in scoring at 20.2 points. in the game and posted 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

Cunningham chose Oklahoma State over Kentucky and other options in November 2019, and said part of Tuesday’s draw was closer to Riley.

“Yes, for sure,” he said. “I was away at Montverde when she was born and everything like that and it finally helped to get a little closer. I mean whatever, I know my parents would have done anything to close that gap for me but yeah, driving four hours away is not too bad for sure. Of course it’s not too bad and I’ve been very lucky to be able to have it at a handful of games and things like that. “

Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said Cunningham has been able to be open about his daughter at school, and they all enjoy getting Riley around.

“Riley is a big part of his story because it’s clear that that element in his life brings a different level of urgency and responsibility and I think it’s been awful,” he said. Boynton. “I think he understood that he didn’t have to hide from him while he was here.

“He was accepted and supported and we enjoyed him when she’s been around, the occasional time she’s been, and of course his mum started it all. I have an amazing relationship with her and Cannen. “

Cunningham is still very close with his parents, Keith and Carrie, his brother, Cannen and his sister, Kaylyn. The whole family is athletic, and Keith played football at Texas Tech.

Cannen was hired as a Boynton staff assistant in June 2019 – five months before Cade promised.

However, Cade said his brother did not actively begin recruiting him to the program until later in the process.

“He didn’t hire me for the longest time,” said Cunningham. “He didn’t say a word about Oklahoma State until a month or two before the time came to make a decision. And then he said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m not going to hire you to a school that I don’t think is ready for you’ so he took a long look at it. He looked through and through for months and months, and finally said to me, ‘Yeah, I think this is the place where you can come in and succeed,’ and that was just because of the ground work that coach Mike had already put down. He told me what the players wanted to win, what the staff wanted to win and who was ready to win but there were just different things going on and it wasn’t ready to happen yet so it came me in with a different mindset … We felt like we had a good freshman class coming in and I was ready to put it all together. And I think as we worked as a team, we were going to win. ”

MADE BY NCAA POSTSEASON WOMAN

In early June, Oklahoma State was punished by the NCAA for the role of assistant coach Lamont Evans in the bribery scandal that was the subject of an FBI investigation that led to four coaches, including Evans, who were arrested in September. 2017. The penalty included a postseason ban for 2021.

But later that month, Cunningham reaffirmed his commitment to the school, instead opting for disqualification and enrollment at Kentucky, signing with an NBA G League path or playing abroad.

At the time, Cunningham was told that Oklahoma State would miss the post, but he had already decided to go to college for a number of reasons, including being so close to Riley and his family in Texas, his relationship with Boynton and the players, and, of course, his friendship with his brother. He likes to say, “Blood is always thicker than water.”

Commenting on the postseason ban back in June, he said on Tuesday, “I didn’t think the school deserved what we got, but Coach Mike was very honest about everything. He said … so far we’re not going to play [in the postseason]. But he was just putting everything out on the line for me and by then, I knew who I wanted to be around, I knew who I wanted to work with. -every day and I think those are the main things.

“I just wanted to be around people who were going to make me a better person, a better player. so by then I was already locked into being part of this program and that is why I chose to stay with it. “

Oklahoma State is a 4th seed in the Midwest and will open against Liberty No. 1. 13 at 6:25 pm Friday. Cunningham and the Cowboys may be heading for a Sweet 16 clash with Illinois No. 1 seed and fellow American Ayo Dosunmu but he is aiming for Liberty for now.

“Winning against Liberty is the biggest focus right now,” he said.

‘I WANT TO MAKE A YEAR OF TYPE MELO’

However, he admits he is a big fan of Carmelo Anthony and has considered running a run similar to what Anthony did in leading Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA tournament as an expert.

“Yeah, what a lie I have been saying that I want to have a year like Melo since I came here,” he said. “It’s crazy everyone is saying now and especially how everyone was talking about it when I came to Oklahoma State. No one thought we would be at this stage.

“I’m excited. Melo’s big shoes to fill but I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

In the last 10 years, only two No. 1 NBA Draft players have reached the Four Finals: Anthony Davis with Kentucky in 2012 and Karl-Anthony Towns and Kentucky in 2015. Only Davis has won the whole thing.

Several other No. 1 picks in recent years have not opted to spout bluebloods like Kentucky and Duke for other shows, namely Ben Simmons (LSU), Markelle Fultz (Washington) and Anthony Edwards (Georgia). (The pandemic was ruled out last year but Georgia was not expected to make the field.)

Asked what made his situation unique, Cunningham said, “Because I hate losing it. ”

Overall, Riley has matured and focused on life beyond basketball even though he was “scary” at first.

“For anyone with their first child, I think it’s a bit scary,” he said. “I was young, I was in high school, it was a lot of different things. But just changing that into motivation, as I have to do this work, I have done my best in anything I am looking for even if it has changed , as I looked at life for sure.

“It definitely made me a little more mature and made me lock in so you can be at this stage right now I’m excited for it. I can’t wait to spoil her as a girl. “